Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 1 Feb 1990

Vol. 395 No. 2

Written Answers. - Swansea-Cork Ferry.

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

47 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport whether the Swansea-Cork ferry will operate this year; whether he supports the maintenance of the ferry link on a long-term basis; and the steps he is taking to ensure that this objective is attained.

Peter Barry

Ceist:

54 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will give an undertaking to the Swansea-Cork ferry company within the next three months that a Government subvention will be available in 1991 and 1992 to ensure that the same on-off position as occurred this year does not arise again; and if he will afford the company the opportunity to mount an effective marketing programme for the ferry.

Michael Moynihan

Ceist:

94 Mr. Moynihan asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he intends to make the Swansea-Cork ferry permanent; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Tourism and Transport (Mr. S. Brennan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 54 and 94 together.

The Government have decided that financial assistance on a once only basis and up to an absolute limit of £500,000 in grant and £500,000 loan may be made available to Swansea-Cork Ferries Limited for the provision of a service in 1990, subject to a number of conditions concerning vessel suitability and the achievement of budgeted targets. Before any Exchequer moneys are advanced, I must be satisfied that the necessary arrangements and structures are put in place to ensure that an effective service can be provided by the company in 1990.

As regards the longer term, I fully support the maintenance of all ferry services in the interests of tourism and our exporters. I must stress, however, that it is Government policy that access transport services should operate on a commercial basis. In those circumstances, Swansea-Cork Ferries Limited have been informed that the Government have decided that no further Exchequer assistance will be available to the company from 1990 onwards.

I want to remind the House that the Exchequer assistance available in 1990 and the offer of assistance in 1989, which was not taken up by the company, followed earlier Exchequer grants in 1987 and 1988. The Government have done all they can reasonably be expected to do in assisting the provision of a Cork-Swansea service. It is now up to the operators of the service and the people of the Cork-Kerry region to prove that a commercially self-sustaining service can be operated in future years. I very much hope that they succeed in that endeavour.